Laura, meet Carson Again
by everlovin
Summary: After Carson's death, Rodney and Laura find love together. How do they explain everything to clone!Carson doesn't know he and Laura broke up? Definitely McCadman.
1. Chapter 1

Laura Meet Carson - Again

Disclaimer - Obviously, I don't own SGA. That Rodney/Laura kiss in Duet would have been canon.

Pairing - Rodney/Laura

Rating - T

Episodes - Sunday (317) and Kindred (419 - 420) mentions SG-1's Redemption I (602)

Summary - What if Rodney and Laura finally get together after Carson dies. What happens when clone!Carson - who thinks he's still with Laura - finds out?

For the purposes of this story, Laura is attached to the Daedalus and therefore spends a week or so on Earth, three weeks on the trip to Atlantis, two weeks - or as needed - in Pegasus, and another three weeks for the trip to Earth.

SGA SGA SGA SGA

What he was doing in front of this house right now, Rodney didn't know. Maybe because no one else would think to. After all, Carson and Cadman broke up months ago. Time and distance apart, and a lack of chemistry - which Rodney absolutely was not taking any sort of responsibility for. It wasn't _his_ fault that Cadman used him to kiss Carson - took its toll on them.

Few knew however, that Carson and Cadman maintained their friendship. She needed to know that Carson died - how Carson died. And frankly, he needed female help to deal with the Becketts.

Rodney took a deep breath and rung the bell.

SGA SGA SGA SGA

Laura answered the door to see McKay standing there. And she knew. Something was wrong. "Who?" Someone was hurt. That's the only reason McKay would be there. For the Wraith or Ori, Homeworld Security would send some lackey.

"Can we do this inside?" McKay's usual discomfort with being around her was nowhere present.

She stepped inside and led him into the kitchen. "I've got some coffee." All of a sudden, whatever he wanted to tell her, she didn't want to hear. Fortunately, for once, he seemed to understand.

"Coffee works."

"So how's the rest of the team?"

McKay shrugged. "Teyla's recovering from an injury, but Sheppard and Conan are ok."

Laura nodded. "The others? Doctor Weir? Radek? Carson?"

McKay had been nodding absently until she mentioned Carson. Something cold gripped her. "Rodney, what happened to Carson?" His whole demeanor became downcast. "No. Not Carson."

"The Ancients and one of their damned experiments. It resulted in an explosion. He saved someone's life. The explosive was in some newbie scientist my niece is smarter than." McKay's expressive face told the story as eloquently as his words. His pride in Carson; his disbelief that Carson was gone; his disgust with the other scientist; his disillusionment with the Ancients. His grief. His grief overlaid everything.

That same grief overwhelmed Laura. Abruptly, she got up and went out to her back yard. The sting was too sharp for anyone to see. Even this almost friend who was also grieving.

He came outside a few minutes later with their coffee. "See, the thing is, I need a favor." Laura scowled. "We still haven't been to tell the Becketts. I mean Sheppard's here on Earth, and Ronon, but I don't think either of them have a clue how to deal with families. Let alone grieving ones. I sure as hell don't. Come with us to Scotland. Save me from the overly emotional Beckett clan."

"Yeah, McKay. I'll go. Carson spoke of Moira fondly. I'd like to be there for her."

The wake was horrible of course. Carson was too beautiful a soul to have left them so soon. But in a strange way, it was wonderful too. His family laughed as they cried. Everyone told stories of Carson. Granted the Lanteans watered down their stories. Moira's eyes shone with tears through each story. Occasionally, one of the other family members handed her a tissue when it was too much.

Colonel Sheppard recalled some of the many times Carson patched him up. McKay choked through remembering the times he'd coerced Carson to try out a new bit of technology. Ronon told of Carson's friendship for and acceptance of him.

Through it all, Laura continued to gain a broader picture of the man who was her friend. The more she learned about him, the more she mourned the lost possibilities.

SGA SGA SGA SGA

He woke to the quiet knock on his door to find Cadman standing there. "Wasn't there anyone else you could bother this early?"

"Of course I could, Rodney. But why should I when you're available?" Her tone was teasing and arch, but sadness still clouded her eyes. "I gave up on sleep. Maybe we could go watch the sun rise above the loch."

"Yes, because I'm the early morning riser of the group," Rodney grumped as he pulled on some jeans over his boxers. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Cadman looking a split second longer than she needed to at his Tardis boxers. No way in the world she was checking out anything other than the boxers.

She must have seen the suspicious look. "Relax, McKay. I've already seen it all before. Remember?"

"Oh, com'on. Didn't I say to not mention that? I distinctly remember saying 'Don't talk about it.'"

SGA SGA SGA

"So, Doctor Who?" Laura grabbed at the question in desperation.

"What's not to love? Give the guy a sonic screwdriver and let him talk. He saved the world." McKay looked around distracted trying to find his watch.

"Just like you then," she teased. Thank God he got distracted. Laura couldn't believe she'd been checking out his ass. She was a Marine for Pete's sake. She saw hard bodies, tight butts, and alpha types every single day. Butts didn't usually do anything for her. Eyes, smiles, brains, and a gentle personality. That's the usual things she was attracted to.

She continued to bicker with him as they walked down to the loch because that's what he expected of her - of them. But a part of her was distracted. Contemplating. Considering. She'd used 'attracted to' in a vague reference to him in her thoughts. Eyes - yes. Rodney had pretty blue eyes. Smiles - when he allowed it to come out, it was always filled with wonderment. Brains - he never let anyone forget his genius. Gentle personality - occasionally. Really, you had to get through his abrasiveness to see his kindness. Carson spoke often of it; his team, AT-1 - not the scientists - saw it; Doctor Weir saw it. She herself saw glimpses f it with his sister during those three weeks on the Daedalus. You had to learn to see it.

Oh God! She was totally checking out his ass because she was attracted to him? She stumbled over a nonexistent rock on the path. That so could not happen. Not now, now ever!

And yet, it was a magnificent golden sunrise she was sharing with Rodney. And he was right. She could have invited any of the Lanteans but she invited Rodney. Oh God! She was interested in Rodney.

SGA SGA SGA

They had just gotten settled down when Cadman reached out and took hold of his hand. "It's not home, but it's pretty." Rodney stared across the water. "I can see why Carson loved it here so much. They all love each other."

"Yeah, Moira's wonderful," Cadman smiled. "She just grabs everyone in sight and mothers them equally."

"Is that what she was doing? I thought is was just some weird Scottish thing." Rodney tried not to think about why he was still holding Cadman's hand.

"You didn't recognize her mothering you within an inch of your life yesterday? That explains a lot, McKay." It was a human reaction. Simply the need for human contact in a time of sadness, Rodney decided.

"Well, we didn't all grow up with sunshine. Your Mom and Dad attended your graduation from the Academy. Mine asked why I didn't graduate sooner."

"What?" she sounded outraged. "I'd bet you were in an advanced school and went to MIT or something. That's something to be very proud of." Outraged on his behalf? That hadn't happened before. Not until recently and then it was usually mixed with an urgency to solve whichever problem was at hand.

"My parents were unhappy and blamed me for it." Rodney tried to sound matter-of-fact about it. Like he wasn't revealing something he'd only told one other person in the world before. Come to think of it, who knew if Sam was on Earth or not.

In any case, it was probably too much to give away. He watched as the sunrise turned from pink to gold and tried not to think too hard why Cadman's hand felt so right in his.

A/N 2 - Man! This one is scary! I'm not used to writing Rodney and I'm filling in a lot of blanks with Laura. Just... Review and let me know! Reviews are like peppermint ice cream on Christmas! Wonderful!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Episodes - SG-1: AoT, SGA: Adrift (401), Reunion (403)

This was so not happening! The Daedalus was stuck in the Milky Way dealing with a remaining pocket of Ori resistance when they received word that Atlantis was missing. Failed to make their rondez-vous. Whereabouts unknown. Laura was having a hard time being sanguine about the whole thing. Atlantis support was supposed to be Daedalus' task. How the freaking hell did the yahoos at the IOA and Homeworld Security expect the Apollo and that dick Colonel Ellis to know about the shit storm the people of Atlantis could pull down on themselves?

She forced herself to focus on checking the ordinance according to the new Asgaard specs. Her sub-ordinates were good. She knew that. However, worry for her missing friends was making her snippy. More than one of them eyed her curiously, but she didn't feel the need to explain anything.

The battle was short and intense. The reports were long and tedious. And there was still no word from Atlantis.

It wasn't until Daedalus took sentry at the supergate that they heard of Atlantis' return to the grid.

And Laura could breathe again.

She didn't understand it at all. Sure, she had friends there. But she knew they were all very good at their jobs. They were motivated. They were all survivors.

Maybe this scare was too close on the heels of losing Carson. But there was a voice in the back of her head calling her a liar.

Rodney McKay was nervous. He'd carried a torch so long for one Colonel Doctor Samantha Carter and now she was going to be the leader of Atlantis. And, as 'she'd' pointed out to him before, he was petty, arrogant, and bad with people.

Well, he'd been trying to correct some of that. The petty and bad with people parts anyway. Thank you, Teyla. And the first thing to do with Sam is to assure her that his crush wouldn't be an issue for him. Of course, if it was an issue for her, that would be a different story.

So, he'd lie. Like a rug if he had to.

He showed up at Sam's door with a handful of flowers and a bellyful of nerves.

"Hey, Rodney. Come in." Sam always had a cheery outlook. It was one of those things that drew him to her to begin with. But this time there was no racing heart. Hey. That was a plus, right?

"Ah, I brought you a little something to spruce up the place."

"Well, thank you. That's very sweet. There's a vase right there." Sam kept to her task of unpacking, Rodney smiled and turns to the table containing the vase. He stopped and stared at the basket of fruit which he had been carrying earlier, which is also on the table.

"Oh, Colonel Sheppard dropped that off. Apparently it's a sampling of fruit from the homeworlds of our various trading partners." Sam sounded pleased with the gesture. 'Yeah. Like he didn't recognize it to begin with and need the explanation.'

"Oh." Sam still didn't see him scowling at the harmless basket of fruit.

"I thought it was a really thoughtful gesture," Sam responded.

"Son of a b..." He angrily dumped the flowers into the vase, then turned to Sam. Remember why you're here, McKay. "Anyway, look, I just came by to welcome you to Atlantis, see how you're settling in and, you know, if you needed anything, and, uh, did I mention I was seeing someone?" Ok, lying like a rug it was. Nothing had been said between him and Laura.

That seemed to shock her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm seeing someone. Yes, I only bring it up now because you're here now and we'll be working together a lot more and, you know, I just thought with our past ..."

"Our 'past?'" Ok, so maybe Sam didn't know he had been carrying the aforementioned torch for her all those years.

"Well, you know, the unrequited lust that's been hanging over our heads for what seems like forever." He laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets. And nope. There was no lust. How could that be?

Sam just shook her head. "Rodney ..."

"I just don't want things to be awkward between the two of us, you know, uh ..." He paused for too long a beat. Ok, Sam. This is where you come to save the socially inept person. Or maybe not. " ... kind of like they are now."

Sam apparently agreed with him on the awkward part judging by that smile.

"Rodney, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Oh, of course! I mean, I'll be fine." And he was. "I'm just ..." Rodney hoped something would come and shut him up. Somehow he couldn't stop digging his hole deeper when Ronon walked in.

"I hear you're in charge." Typical Ronon. Always pushing. Always challenging.

"Uh, Ronon, this is Colonel Carter. Sam, this is Ronon. He's ..." Rodney did his best to smooth the introduction.

Wait, what? Were his goals accomplished? One of them? Definitely. He reassured Sam that he wouldn't be more a problem than usual. Check. Did he convince himself that there was no more lingering crushes? Surprisingly, yes.

Ronon left with his usual impatience and Sam turned her attention back to Rodney. "I'm not here to step on your toes, Rodney. I'm here in a mostly administrative capacity. That said, I hope you occasionally have something set aside for me."

Rodney nodded. "Of course, of course." And somehow all his concerns with Sam leading the expedition were gone. "Well, I really ought to..." he nodded toward the door. "There's a dozen idiots down in the labs trying to blow up the city even as we speak." Ok, so he still needed to work on the bad with people aspect of himself.

"Yeah, I've got more to do around here," Sam agreed.

Rodney had a peculiar notion that with his past resolved - as it was now with Sam - he could open up possibilities for the future. And a brief vision of a gamin face with a cloud of red-blonde hair floating around it came to mind.

A/N - So sorry I took so incredibly long to get you this. I was so not happy with parts of it. Please leave the review though!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Episode - Tabula Rasa (406)

Oh, and I gave Laura a promotion to Captain.

"Colonel Caldwell. I'd like permission to stay in Pegasus during this rotation. The geologists have discovered some traces of naquadah on the mainland. I'd like to investigate further and determine the feasibility of mining it. With more naquadah..."

"You don't need to outline the benefits, Captain," Caldwell interrupted. "I assume you've discussed the possibility with Colonels Carter and Sheppard?"

"I've run it by them. As well as a basic schedule and outline for both the initial survey and later the possible mining of the planet," Laura confirmed.

"Very well. I'll see you in two months. Carry on." With that, Caldwell signed the request for TDY.

Laura wondered how the people in the Milky Way did this on a weekly basis. There was no access to a jumper - beyond being dropped off on a remote region of the planet to be picked up a week later. However the naquadah traces were more than traces, but her and her team had to trek all over the mountains in the area.

After six days of roughing it, all Laura could think of was a hot shower, a cold beer, and teasing Rodney. For whichever reason, and she was only starting to admit, she loved the verbal sparring she and Rodney engaged in.

For now, she sighted the deer trail her team was following. More naquadah readings to survey, map, and analyze.

Rodney straightened his back. How long had he been leaning over his laptop? His stomach growled like it was several hours past dinnertime and the power bars he kept stashed in his desk ran out.

Grumbling to himself, he made his way to the mess hall. He'd gotten used to one of his team pulling him away from whichever project he was working on - Replicator code recently. He was startled to see Cadman sitting at the "team" table on the balcony.

"Thought you were on the mainland, Cadman," he snarked as he put his meal on the table. "Haven't seen much of you since we got here."

"That's what happens when you actually have to geologically map out a planet. Not rely on databases and scans," she replied snidely. Laura rubbed her temples. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I've got the mother of all headaches."

"Oh, well," Rodney searched for the polite phrases. There was a glassy look about her that seriously alarmed him. "Do you need Keller or something?" Without waiting for her to agree, Rodney cleared her plate and tugged her to the infirmary.

They were about halfway there when Laura stopped dead in her tracks. "Woah. Not pleasant. Give me a minute, okay?"

"What's not pleasant?" Laura could deal with anything. They'd learned so much about one another while she'd been stuck in his head. Anything that bothered her to this extent had to be bad.

"Dizzy spell. The whole world spun the wrong direction there for a second." She still sounded like she could retch at any moment. Rodney picked her up awkwardly. He'd seen Ronon carry people around. He'd just never tried it himself. The infirmary wasn't horribly far at any rate.

Rodney got through the infirmary doors and Jennifer looked up as he arrived. "Laura too. That makes eight of the two teams that went to the mainland.

She tapped her communicator. "Col. Carter. We've got a bit of a situation developing down here. I'm quarantining the infirmary level until further notice.

And just like that, Rodney was stuck there. Funny thing was, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be any place else.

It wasn't just that there was nothing to do; it was that there was _nothing_ to do. Which of course allowed his mind to come up with every awful possibility there was. Was that a tingling sensation?

"So what did Dr Keller say?" Laura asked with as much curiosity as concern and boredom.

"She'll look into it," Rodney said wryly. He knew it had nothing to do with the illness, but he couldn't help it.

"How you doing?" He couldn't help the worry for Laura either. He'd come to enjoy their spats. In some strange way, they were – stimulating.

"I'm okay."

"Well, Dr Keller's got her team working pretty hard. They've got a bunch of stuff, I'm sure they'll beat this thing in no time," Rodney reassured Laura. "Seriously, are you okay?"

"My headache's getting worse." Laura should never be as subdued as this was making her and it was messing with his head.

"Anything I can do?" Anything to bring some life to her eyes.

"Could you ask the nurse to bring me some tea?"

He reached for the tea she'd just set on her bedside table. "What's wrong with this one?" Oh crap. This was too similar to those last hours when she was in his head and started to slip away. No way was he going to allow that to happen.

Laura was sleeping when lunch was delivered. Salisbury stead. And, well, he never was one to let nerves slow down his stomach. His blood sugar dropped like a stone if he didn't eat regularly.

He looked up and saw her eyes flutter open. "Hey! How're you feeling?"

"I don't know."

"They brought dinner while you were sleeping," he indicated the half gone plate of food. "Salisbury steak and it's actually quite good." She had a lost, confused, scared look on her face. "Laura?" He tried to get a look of coherence from her. "Cadman."

"Where am I?" Oh crap!

"What do you mean? You're in the infirmary. I brought you here, remember?"

"Who are you?" Double crap!

Dr Keller finally lifted the quarantine after the second set of blood tests came back positive. Who needed quarantine when everyone was sick? And, as much as he hated leaving Laura, out there, maybe he could get something done. Help search the database, anything.

He met up with Sheppard and Sam to set up some protocols. This whole mess needed to be organized. Offworld personnel protected. The idea of losing his memory was beyond frightening.

Finally they had a plan. Sheppard and Ronon would get the plant. Rodney and Teyla would work on aerosolizing it. If only he could concentrate. Laura was counting on him whether she knew it or not.

"Wait a second! What am I doing?" It felt like his head was stuffed full of cotton.

"You said the quickest way to spread the cure was to aerosolize it and distribute it through the ventilation system. You are currently attempting to override base protocol for temperature, humidity, and air pressure." Teyla sounded like she'd explained all of that before.

"Right. Right. That's easy! It's just a simple matter of. . ."he trailed off. "Oh come on! I should be able to do this in my sleep! Oh God! It's happening to me too isn't it?"

"You have to remain calm."

"No no. You don't understand. My memory was lousy to start with. Names, birthdays. I forgot Mother's Day five years in a row." Focus Rodney!

"What is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter?"

"Oh that's pi. 3.14159265 et cetera et cetera. That doesn't count. That's easy."

"You are a scientist, Rodney. That is what you care about and will hold on to the longest."

"Wait a minute. Doesn't that make me a really bad person?" Laura. Laura is important.

"That makes you the type of person who is going to save all our lives."

"Oh. Okay." Override protocol. Easy. Get to it.

Rodney went to sit with Laura. He just needed to be with her. He must have fallen asleep at some point because he was startled awake by Dr Keller coming in.

"You should get some sleep."

"It's okay. I'm fine." Well, maybe not fine, but stubborn enough to not care what doctors say.

"I can let you know when she wakes up," she offered.

"I'll stay." What part of the stubborn vibe wasn't Keller getting?

"Okay. She's not giving up, you know. She's a fighter."

Dr Keller didn't know the half of it. Laura was one of those that thrived in a fight. He was damn glad she was a fighter because she needed to fight now.

Keller left them to be. Laura shifted in her sleep just enough to suggest she was waking up. "Laura?" She gripped his hand and hope surged through Rodney.

"Doctor? She's moving her fingers."

Keller hurried to the bedside. "Laura? Laura!"

And just like that, her eyes opened. "Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary. You're safe." Dr Keller reassured her. "Do you remember anything?" She moved back to let her patient see Rodney behind her.

"Rodney? It's good to see you!"

"Yeah. Yeah. It's good to see you too."

Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon watched the scene unfold from across the room. "Does anybody suppose they thing they're keeping their little romance a secret?"

Ronon and Teyla exchanged a look.

"No!" they said simultaneously.

A/N - I am super sorry for the extra long delay. Life has been crazy due to my granddaughter being so sick and all. I'm already working on Chapter 4 though!

A/N 2 - Reviews are amazing and wonderful!


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